Automatic railroad-switch.



Patented Aug. 17, 1909. v '2 sauge-SHEET 1.

G. E. TOULLERTON. n Q AUTOMATIC RAILROAD SWITCH.

APPLIGATIONHLBD AUG. 4, 190s.

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AUTOMATIC RAILROAD SWITCH. APPLICATION Hum AUG. 4, 190s.

931,660. n Patented Aug. 17,1909.

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GEORGE EDWARD TOULLER'VION, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.

- AUTOMATIC RAILROAD-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 17, 1909.

Application nled August 4, 1908. Serial No. 446,918.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, Gnonon E. ToULLnR- TON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Houston, in the county of Harris and State of Texas,have invented a new-and useful Automatic Railroad-Switch, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in automatic railroad switches.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction oiautomatic railroad switches, and to provide simple, inexpensive andeiiicient means for preventing rear end collisions, caused by. orresulting through neglecting to throw the switch to the main linetraclrs after a train has passed Y into the siding.

A further object of the invention is to provide mechanism havingoperating means, locatedat the siding rails in position to be actuatedby the train moving into the siding, so that the switch will beautomatically7 thrown to the main rails by the train moving into thesiding to positively leave the main line clear for an approaching train.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully of anautomatic switch, constructed in accordance with this invention. Figj2is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig.3 is an enlarged detail view, taken substantially on fthe line 3-S ofFig. 1 and illustrating the construction of the connections between thedepressible train-operated member and the compound levers. Fig. 4 is anelevation partly in section oi the upper portion of the switch stand.Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view, taken substantially on the line 5-#5of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially onthe line 6 6 of Fig. 2.

Lilie numerals oi reference designate corresponding parts lin all thefigures of the drawings.

1&1 designate movable switch rails, adapted tobe shifted laterally froma position in alinement with the main rails 2 to a position in alinementwith siding rails 3 and 4, as illustratedin dotted lines in-Fig. 1 ofthe drawings. The movable switch rails are operated by a switch stand,consisting of a vertical tubular Vcasing 5, and a vertical shaft 6,journaled in the casing 5 and provided with an upper operating arm 7 andhaving a lower arm 8, which is connected with the switch rails 1. Theswitch rails 1 are connected together by a transverse rod 9, and thelatter is connected by a rod 10 with a link 11 extending to the lowerarm 8 of the vertical shaft of the switch stand.

The improvements herein shown and described are applicable to variousswitch stands, and the connections between the switch stands and theswitch rails are designed to be of the ordinary construction.

The operating arm 7 is bifurcated, and is equipped with a pivotedoperating handle or member 12, which is adapted to swing downward intoengagement with a notch 13 ofthe top or head 14 of the switch stand,when the switch is closed or thrown to the main line. The pivotedoperating handle or member 12 is adapted to swing downward by gravity,when it is brought in alinenient with the recess 13, and it forms agravity lock for holding the switch rails 1 in their closed position.

The switch is automatically closable, the operating arm 7 beingconnected with one end ol a coiled spring 15, which is adapted to swingthe arm 7 toward the recess 13, when the switch is free to move. Theother end of the spring is secured to an arm 16, projecting from thehead or top of the switch stand and rigidly connected to the same. Themovement of the operating arm 7 toward the recess 1o is limited by astop 17, consisting of a lug or pin projecting from the upper face ofthe switch stand. The stop, which is arranged in the path of the arm 7,prevents the same from swinging past the recess 13, so that the pivotedmember 12 will automatically drop into engagement with the recess of theswitch stand and loch the movable switch rails in alinement with themain rails, when the switch is closed by the operation of the coiledspring 15. TWhen itis desired to run a train into the siding formed bythe rails 3 and 4, the switch stand is operated to lco carry the,movable switch rails 1 from the main lineposition, illustrated in fulllines in Fig. 1 of the drawings to the closed position shown in thesaidhgure. The switch is locked in this position by means of avertically movable locking rod 18, piercing the head or top plate oftheswitch stand and provided with a beveled upper end 19, adapted to beautomatically depressed by the switch arm 7 in its movement away ronrthe recess, and capable of automatically engaging and locking the armagainst inward movement for retaining the switch rails in alinement withthe siding rails 3 and 4. The locking rod 14 is actuated in .its upwardmovement by a coiled spring 20, arranged within a barrel or casing 21and engaging the same and a pin 22 of the locking rod. The upper portionof the locking rod is also guidedin a tube or casing 23, coupled to andextending upward from the barrel or casing 20 and provided with a slot24, receiving a pin 25 of the locking rod. The .pin 25, which slides inthe slot of the tube or casing 23, prevents the rotary movement of thelocking rod and maintains the beveledengagino' end of the same inposition to be depressed by the arm 7 and for engaging and locking thesame.

n order to eifectually prevent the switch rails from being left in anopen position in alinement with the siding rails 3 and 4, the lockingdevice formed by the spring actuated rod 18 is connected by compoundleverswith a depressible,train-operated member 26, extending along theinner side of the siding rail 4, in position to be engaged by theflanges of the wheels of a train moving into the siding. The compoundlevers consist oi inner and outer levers 27 and 28, fulcrumedintermediate of their ends and transverse pins 29 and 30 of a suitablesupport 31, located beneath the plate or member 32 on which the switchstand is mounted and which slidably receives the movable switch rails l.The levers 27 and 28 are connected at their adjacent ends by means of avertical link 33, and theouter end of the outer lever is pivotedby apin34, or other suitable fastening device to the lower end of a springactuated rod. The support 31, which is constructed of suitable metal, issuspended from the plate or meniber 32 by means of suitable hangers orbrackets 35 and 35, and it consists of two sides and a connecting bottomportion, the top being open, as clearly shown in Fig. 6 oi the drawings.

The inner end of the lever 27 is connected by a rod 36 with thedepressible member 26 and the latter, when moved outward, is adapted toactuate the compound levers and withdraw the spring actuated loclzingrod from engagement with the arm 7 to permit the spring 15 to swing thesaid arm 7 to the stop 17 for closing the switch. As soon as the trainmoving into the siding depresses the bar or member 26, the lockingdevice will be withdrawn from engagement with the arm 7, but it will beimpossible for the switch rails to move to their closed position inalinement with the main rails until the train has moved entirely on tothe siding and has relieved the switch rails of pressure. The switchrails will then be thrown automatically to the main line rails to leavea clear main line for an approaching train. This effeetually preventsthe switch from being aecidentally left open, and the switchis closedbefore the approach of the next train, and its closingmovement doesnotdependior its operation on the latter train. Thiswill also preventthe accidents resulting froindefects in mechanism, operated by anapproaching train for closing a-switch to prevent rear end collisions.

The rod 36 has a threaded upper portion. 37 to screwinto a threadedperforation ol the depressible member 36, and thelower end of he rod isequipped with an eye 33 to receive a pivot 39 forconneeting it totheinner arm o1c the inner lever 27. rhe depressible member, which maybemounted in any preferred manner,v is arranged between the sidingrail 4and a guide 40, mounted in parallelism with the rail v4, as clearlyshown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The inner side of the depressiblemember 26 is recessed atthe upper portion at 41 to receive the adjacentvportion of the head or the rail, when the member 26 is at the limit ofits upper movement, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Thehead ofthe rail 4 limits the upward movement of the member 26, and the guide40, which Vis 'if-shaped in cross section, presents a 'Hat verticalliace to the adjacent side face of the depressible member. The vi`shapedguide 40 has horizontal bottom i'langes 42, which are spil-ed to thecross ties, but the depressible membermay be guided in any othersuitable manner.

Having thus fully described my invention, what l claim as new anddesireto secure 'by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a switch Ahaving movable switch rails, a springfor normally urging the switch rails to their closed position, aswitch-stand provided with manually operated mechanism connected withthe switch rails for `moving the same to their open position, saidmechanism including a movable operating member, a locking devicearranged to automatically engage the operating member to hold the switchopen while a train enters the siding, and a releasing device arranged toVbe engaged by a trainafter the same has entered the siding andconnected with the locking device for disengaging the same from the saidoperating member to permit the vspring to automatically move the switchrails to their closed position.

2. The combination of a switch including movable switch rails, and aswitch stand having an operating arm, a spring connected with theoperating arm for closing the switch,` a locking device for engaging theoperating arm to hold the switch in its open position, and mechanismarranged to be operated by a train moving into a siding for withdrawingthe locking device from engagement with the operating arm to permit theswitch t0 close. y

3. The combination oi a switch including movable switch rails, and aswitch stand having an operating arm, a spring connected with theloperating arm for automatically closing the switch, a spring actuatedlocking device for engaging the operating arm tc hold the switch in itsopen position7 a depressible train-actuated member arranged to beengaged by a train moving into a siding, and compound lever connectionsbetween the said member and the locking device.

4. rl'he combination of a switch including movable switch rails, and aswitch stand having an operating arm, a spring connected with theoperating arm for automatically closing the switch, a spring actuatedlocking device for engaging the operating arm to hold the switch in itsopen position, a depressible train-actuated member arranged to beengaged by a train moving into a siding, and inner and outer leversfulcrumed at an intermediate point and connected vtogether at theiradjacent ends, the outer lever being connected with the locking deviceand the inner lever being connected with the said depressible member.

5. The combination of a switch including movable switch rails, and aswitch stand having an operating arm, a stop for limiting the movementof the operating arm in one direction, a spring connected with theoperating arm for moving the same toward the stop, a vertically movablespring actuated arm to hold the switch open, a depressibletrain-actuated member, and connections between the said member and thelocking device for actuating the latter to release the operating arm ofthe switch.

6. The combination of a switch including movable switch rails, a switchstand, and a shaft connected with the switch rails and provided with ahorizontal operating arm, means for actuating the switch to close thesame, a vertically movable locking rod located exteriorly of the switchstand and arranged to engage the operating arm of the switch to hold thelatter open, an eXteriorly arranged barrel or casing receiving the rod,a spring mounted within the barrel or casing for actuating the rod, adepressible train-actuated member, and means for connecting the samewith the said rod for releasing the operating arm of the switch.

7. The combination of a switch including movable switch rails, avertical switch stand having a horizontally swinging operated rod andconnected with the switch'rails, a vertically movable locking rod havinga beveled upper end and arranged to engage the operat` ing arm of theswitch to hold the latter open, a barrel or casing receiving 'the rodand hav ing a spring mounted within the barrel or casing for actuatingthe rod, a tube receiving the rod and connected with the barrel orcasing and provided with a slot, means carried by the rod and operatingin the slot for holding the rod against rotary movement, andtrain-actuating mechanism arranged to be operated by a train moving intothe siding for actuating the rod to release the switch.

8. rlhe combination of a switch including movable switch rails, and aswitch stand connected therewith and having an operating i.

arm, a locking device for engaging the operating arm to hold the switchopen, a depressible train-operated member extending along one of thesiding rails, a support extending transversely ofthe switch and providedwith hangers, levers extending longitudinally of and ulcrumed on thesupport and-connected with each other, and means for connecting thelevers with the locking device and with the said member.

9. The combination with movable switch rails, main rails, and sidingrails7 of a manually operable switch-stand connected with the switchrails to open the switch and including a movable operating member, meansalso connected with the switch rails for normally urging the same totheir closed position, a locking device mounted on the switchstand andarranged to engage the said operating member for holding the switchopen, and a depressible member located between the terminals ofthesiding rails and arranged to be engaged by a train after the same hasentered the siding for disengaging the locking device from the operatingarm to permit the switch to close automatically.

10. The combination with movable switch rails, main rails, and sidingrails, of a switch stand connected with the switch rails, a lockingdevice for holding the switch open, a

guide arranged adjacent to one of the siding rails, a depressible membermounted between the guide and the adjacent siding rail, means connectedwith the said member and the locking device for releasing the switchwhen the said member' is depressedJ and means for automatically closingthe switch when the same is released.

l1. rlhe combination with a switch including movable switch rails, and aswitch stand provided with a recess and having an operating arm, saidoperating arm being provided with a gravity acting pivoted member'arranged to automatically engage the recess for locking the switch inits closed position,

means for automatically closing the switch, I as my oWn, I have heretoaHXed my sign@d a looking device for holding the switch 1n 1ts 1 ture 1nthe presence of two Wltnesses. open position, and means arranged to beoperated by a train moving into e siding for GEORGE EDWARD TOULLERIOB'f5 disengaging the looking device from the i Witnesses:

switch to permit the latter to close. W. T. BIAN.

In testimony7 that I claim the foregoing E. A. PALMER.

